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We are beyond the quarter mark of the professional football season, which suggests we have a clear picture of the trajectory of most teams. So let’s celebrate the teams whose optimistic outlook have disappeared after the latest round of games. Remember these might not be the worst teams in the league (the Titans and Cleveland Browns, for example, are terrible but are mostly playing as projected) as much as the ones who have been most disappointing.

New York Jets (0-5)

The only winless team in the league, the Jets check all the misery boxes. There have been crushing setbacks, starting with Chris Boswell hitting a 60-yard game-winner for the Steelers in Week 1. And there have been blowouts like Sunday’s 37-22 beating to the Cowboys, which was far more lopsided than the numbers imply. The Jets’ supposed strength, their D, became the initial winless squad with zero takeaways in NFL history. The Jets continue to make costly mistakes with penalties, mistakes, poor offensive line play, failed fourth-down attempts and poor sideline leadership. Incredibly the Jets are deteriorating weekly. If that wasn’t enough this has been happening for a long time: their postseason absence of 14 seasons is the longest in the NFL. And with one of the worst owners in the league, it could persist indefinitely.

Despair Index: 9/10 – What is Aaron Glenn's future?

Baltimore Ravens (1-4)

Sure, it’s tempting to attribute Baltimore’s loss to Houston on Sunday to Jackson not playing. But a 44-10 scoreline – the biggest home loss in team history – is shameful and even a player of Jackson's caliber can't overcome everything if his D, which admittedly has been blighted by injury, is godawful. Making matters worse, the Ravens defense hardly put up a fight against the Texans. It was a big day for CJ Stroud, the Browns' star, and their teammates.

Nevertheless, Jackson will probably return in the near future, they play in a softer division and their upcoming slate is manageable, so there's still a chance. But considering how messy the Ravens have performed with or without Jackson, the confidence level is running on fumes.

Despair Index: 6/10 - The division is still within reach.

Cincinnati Bengals: Slipping to 2-3

This one boils down to one incident: Joe Burrow's catastrophic injury in the second week. Three weeks without Burrow has led to a trio of defeats. It’s almost painful to watch two top pass-catchers, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, doing their thing with nothing to show for it. Chase caught two major TDs and significant yardage on Sunday in a 37-24 loss to an elite squad, the Detroit. But Cincinnati’s offense did the majority of their work once the game was out of reach. Simultaneously, Burrow’s stand-in, the backup passer, while impressive in the last quarter against the Lions, has mostly been a disaster. His three interceptions on Sunday sank the Bengals.

No organization in football relies so heavily on the fitness of one player like the Bengals do with Burrow. Optimistic fans will point to the fact that they will be a playoff team when Burrow comes back the following campaign, if he can stay fit. But only five weeks into this season, the schedule looks essentially finished for Cincinnati.

Suffering Score: 6/10 – Bengals supporters are again pondering what might have been.

Las Vegas Raiders (1-4)

Let Maxx Crosby go, who continues to be a rare positive in a weird new era of Silver and Black suffering. Sunday’s 40-6 blowout loss to the Indianapolis Colts was another demonstration of the poor combination of the signal-caller and the sideline leader in the Las Vegas. Smith has been a mistake-prone player, leading the league this season with nine picks. His two interceptions in the latest contest produced Indianapolis scores. It's unclear what the backup plan is, but the primary strategy – being relying entirely on Smith – is a very painful watch.

Despair Index: 7/10 – Chip Kelly's offense requires immediate changes.

Unexpected Mention: Philadelphia Eagles (4-1)

Certainly, they’re the defending champions. And of course, they have lost just twice in 22 games. But between the wideout and the other receiver expressing dissatisfaction with their positions, followers' criticism about their slow-moving attack and the city’s continued skepticism about the head man, you’d think the Eagles were without a victory. Indeed, Sunday’s breakdown was concerning: the Eagles lost a two-score advantage to Denver in the fourth quarter thanks to several infractions, an offense that faded horribly, and a D that was beaten and outthought by the Broncos' coach. Stranger events have occurred. However, they were on the end of some controversial calls and are equal with the leading standing in their league. What happened to the joy?

Suffering Score: 3/10 - The atmosphere might be negative but Philadelphia will make the playoffs.

Also Noteworthy: Arizona Cardinals (2-3)

The Cardinals are average rather than terrible, but their embarrassing 22-21 loss to the until-then winless Titans was incompetent. A turnover near the end zone from the ball carrier, who celebrated a 72-yard would be touchdown prematurely, followed by a muffed pick that ended in a Tennessee score cost Arizona the game. You couldn't imagine this defeat if you wanted to. Given that this, and their prior defeats, were on game-winning field goals, there can’t be much joy in Arizona these days. “I don’t really know what to think about that,” the quarterback said after the game. “I'm confused. I really don’t even know. That's a textbook example of losing. I can't explain. It was insane.”

Despair Index: 3/10 – Is Murray the long-term answer?

Player of the Week

Carolina's Rico Dowdle, RB. Dowdle, replacing the hurt starter, {could do with a little more confidence|